Mail-bag fastening



(No Model.)

J. S. GOODWIN.

MAIL BAG FASTENING.

Patented Mar 19, 1889 IJV VEJV'TOR J. W

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WITNESSES, 0C} OZWMLQC W flttorney NV PETERS, P'h'olo-Ulhugnpbor, wminm. D. c

NNITED STATES rricE.

JAMES S. GOODVVIN, OF EMERALD, IVISCONSIN.

MAIL-BAG FASTENING.

SPEClFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,986, dated March19, 1889.

' Application filed February 6, 1888- Serial No. 263,077. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES S. GOODWIN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Emerald, in the county of St. Croix and State of\Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMail-Bag Fastenings, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the ac companying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in mail-bag fastenin gs; and itconsists in the construction and combination of the parts hereinafterdescribed, whereby time is saved in the adjusting of the parts, thelocking-chain is rendered easier of manipulation, the staples holdingthe said chain are rendered firmer in their position, and the bag islocked by a simple and efficient means.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mail-bag providedwith this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lock for fastening theend of the chain. Fig. 3 is a vertical elevation of the interior of thelock. Fig. 4 is a detail View of a modification of the clamping-jaws ofthe same. Fig. 5 is a section cut through the upper edge of the saidbag, upon which the flap is folded.

The letter A designates a mail-bag of ordinary shape, which is providedat the upper edge, C, upon which the flap B folds, with a doublethickness of leather, which consists of a piece the length of the saidflap, which is folded back on the side of the bag to which it isattached and riveted at the lower edge to the same. Interposed betweenthis additional thickness and the side of the bag is a rubber strip, D.The said strip is of any weight desired, and when placed in positionmaterially stiifens the said edge, but does not become rigid with theaction of the weather. Placed at short intervals in the center of thesaid edging are the staples E. The said staples are formed to a point inthe center, and are provided upon either end with the forks F F, theprongs of which are joined by the shoulders G. In mounting the saidstaples upon the bag, as aforesaid, holes are bored in the same toreceive the prongs of the forks F F, which are then passed through,their ends extending upon the other side. The small washers II are thenplaced over the protruding ends, which are then headed, as in theordinary riveting. By means of thus mounting the said staples upon thebag they are kept more firmly in an upright position, as the washers Hand the shoulders G bear firmly against the opposite sides of theleather of the bag, in which position the staples E are forced to remainperpendicular to their part of the leather to which they are attached.Passing through the said staples is the chain 1, the end of which isrigidly attached to the back of the bag. I construct the said chain ofone or more small chains joined together at the ends and covered withleather, whereby they are more readily handled and passed through thestaple E. At the one end the said chain is provided with a perforatedhead, J, by means of which it is secured rigidly to the leather at theback of the said bag. At

the other end it is provided with a barbed head, K, to-which it isattached by means of the riveted pin L, passing through a perforation inthe rear of the same. The said chain may be constructed any shapedesired; but I preferably use the flat-shaped chain shown in theaccompanying drawings.

Secured rigidlyto the leather upon the back of the bag by means ofrivets passed through the said leather and perforations in the fiatplate M is the casing of the lock X.. The said casing is secured to theplate M by means of the bolts N and the pins 0 O and P P, the latter ofwhich are provided with heads extending above the said casing to act asstops for the shield of the key-hole of the lock. vIt is provided,further, at the forward end with the squ are perforation R, adapted toallow the barbed end of the head K to pass freely. Mounted in the saidcasing and extending around the bolts N and resting between the pins .0O is the spring-clutch S. In thus mounting the said clutch between thepins 0 O, I prevent the wearing of the same where it is mounted aroundthe bolt end. Thereby, when opening at the free end, this constructionbrings the springing strain upon the straight arms of the said spring.It is provided upon the end with the opposed hooked ends T T, which areadapted to lit over the barbed end of the head K, and, when restingtogether, presenting beveled heads toward the perforation R. Pivotallymounted between the arms of the said spring is the double dog U, the

curved surface S of which rests against the inside of the said arms. Thesaid dogs may be provided with any suitable means for retaining them outof engagement with the key, as in a Yale look, by means of which thesaid dogs are turned so as to spread the said arms. The casing directlyover the said dogs is provided with a slot for the insertion of a keywherewith to operate the said dogs, a shield, V, being providedtherefor, having the stops V and V upon either side of the same, toprevent the said shield from turning completely around while the bag isbeing handled.

In fastening the said bag the flap B is brought down over the edge E,the same being held rigidly in an upright position, as hereinbefore described. The chain I is then passed through the said staples, over theflap, and around to the back of the said bag. The barbed head K is theninserted in the perforation R in the casing, striking between thebeveled faces of the opposed arms of the spring S, pressing them apart,and passing the barbed end of the head K behind the locked ends of thesaid opening, which falls into position behind the same. In thisposition it is impossible to withdraw the barbed end of the head Kwithout spreading the arms of the spring S. This is done by removing theshield V and inserting the said key into the said dogs and turning thesame, thereby spreading the arms of the spring far enough apart topermit of withdrawing the barbed head K.

By means of this construct-ion the operation of locking and unlocking abag consumes a very little time. When thus unlocked, the chain can bedrawn through the staples E with ease and rapidity, the leatherpreventing the catching of any of the parts or the jamming of the same.The said dogs are not turned completely around, being prevented by thearms of the spring S striking against the pin P, so that when the barbedhead K is withdrawn from the engagement with the hooked ends of the saidarm and the keys operating the dogs are released the said dogs areforced into their normal position, the hooked ends of the said armresting against each other. When the chain is thus withdrawn, the flap Bis raised out of engagement with the staples E and the bag is open formanipulation.

While I have described the construction of the edge 0 to consist inplacing a stiff material-such as rubberbetween the pieces of leather, itis obvious that I can change the construction by placing the gum orstiff material either upon the outside or inside of the same withoutaltering the scope of the invention.

The modification shown in Fig. 4 of drawings is used when the arms ofthe springclutch S are made from wrought-iron or castst-eel in twohalves and mounted upon the bolt N, so as to revolve about the same.About the outsides of the rear ends of the said arms is placed thespring WV, which tends to throw the barbed ends of the said armstogether, as described with reference to the arms of the spring S. Thismodification may be used to advantage in many parts of the country wherethe climate or sudden changes of temperature are hard upon the springmetal, tending to break the same, and in this case the clutcharms hereinshown could be more readily changed and are cheaper of construction thanthat shown in the other figures.

What I claim is 1. In a mail-bag such as described, the combination ofthe staples E, secured in position around the said bag and adapted toextend through perforations provided in the flap, a chain, I, forextending through the said staples, consisting of a number of smallchains secured together and the whole covered with a flexible materialto prevent the chain catching in the staples, and a lock, X, forsecuring the ends of the chain together, substantially as described.

2. In a mail-bag such as described, the combination of the staples E,secured in position upon the bag and extending through perforationsprovided in the flap, a chain, I, adapted to pass through the saidstaples and provided upon the end with a barbed head, K, and a lock toreceive and hold the said head, consisting of two arms, S, the rear endsof which are formed to a semicircle to engage a post, N, upon which theyturn, and the front ends are formed to hooks T, the barbs of which meetto close behind any protuberance passed between them, the spring W,passed around the post N outside the arms S and extending along thesides of the same, the pins 0 O, placed to retain the spring IV inposition to maintain a pressure upon the arms S, and the double dog U,pivoted between the arms S and adapted to spread the same, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES S. GOODIVIN.

Witnesses:

THEADORE A. HURD, W. M. GoNsrANcE.

